


That Which Is Unsaid

by oftennot



Category: Naruto
Genre: And What It Means, Eye Contact, F/F, Fluff, insert all 1000000 panels of sasusaku staring into each other's eyes, it's about the eye smex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-24
Updated: 2020-08-24
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:54:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26080744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oftennot/pseuds/oftennot
Summary: Many people write Sasuke off as taciturn, his expressionless a sure sign that he felt little to no emotions. Sakura knew differently. He had always communicated that which he struggled to put into words with his eyes. She thinks it’s a uniquely Uchiha trait; the combination of doujutsu and their ability to love fiercely in their blood.
Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke
Comments: 5
Kudos: 52





	That Which Is Unsaid

Sakura has known Sasuke for a long time. She supposes that is obvious; they grew up in the village and attended the academy together before being assigned to the same genin team. She remembers first laying eyes on him before they were old enough to enroll in the academy, back when his eyes were still wide and bright. She remembers the quiet, ever present fire that burned in his them before he left the village. She remembers how that fire had turned cold and into distant embers the first time their eyes met after two and a half years.

Many people write Sasuke off as taciturn, his expressionless a sure sign that he felt little to no emotions. Sakura knew differently. He had always communicated that which he struggled to put into words with his eyes. She thinks it’s a uniquely Uchiha trait; the combination of doujutsu and their ability to love fiercely in their blood.

She says as much to him, expecting a typical huff of amusement and gentle shake of his head in response. Instead, he is silent, his mouth thinning out. “Sasuke-kun? Is something wrong?” she asks, placing her hand on top of his. His hand twitches, then his fingers wrap around hers.

She stares at his profile, his face mostly hidden from her at this angle, the eye possessing the Rinnegan hidden by his hair. Sakura waits for him to speak, for him to piece together that which he needs to say. He was always a man of few words. He knew the weight they carried and the need to have intention behind them. He wasn’t quiet because he had nothing to say, but rather he was selective with whom he shared his thoughts. Sakura is grateful that she, somehow, is lucky enough to be privy to them.

“Do you,” he begins, his voice low and hesitant, “Do you still think so?”

She frowns. “What do you mean?”

“My eyes, they’re not mine. They’re Itachi’s. And the Rinnegan—it’s not the same anymore.”

“Sasuke-kun, look at me.”

He does as she asks. His uncovered eye meets hers, his gaze unwavering. She stares at him, considering the man she’s loved her whole life. The eye is different, it’s true. It was a subtle difference, one most would never notice. But Sakura could discern the slightly lighter shade and shape of the iris.

She and Sasuke had a way of communicating silently since they were young. Words were difficult. Words had double meanings. People could lie with them. To read underneath the underneath, to cut to the heart of what the other was feeling—they could read it in each other’s eyes.

She reaches out and brushes the hair out of his face, her fingers stroking his skin as she does so. This eye looked completely different from his originals. But this eye protected her, their family, the village, and all of the shinobi world. He was granted this eye and the immense power and responsibility that came with it because no one else could shoulder the burden.

“Your eyes,” he continues, and Sakura realizes she’s been silent, “They’re the same. I mean—” he grimaces and starts over. “They’re constant. They’re familiar. I look at them and know where I’ve been. Where I’m going. What I’m fighting for.”

For as long as she’s known Sasuke, in all the years she’s loved him, Sakura has never heard these words before. She knew on some level that he felt this. He demonstrated as much countless times in the small, wordless acts he performed. This was the first time he said it so plainly, so openly. His words wash over her and she feels the love in his voice, like unexpected and warm drops of rain on a sunny day. Her heart sings.

She smiles, her hand cupping his cheek. She untangles her other hand to bring it up and palm the other side of his face. She looks at him, deliberate, sure, and tries to convey all the love she feels for him.

“It was never just your eyes. It was _you_ , behind them. This, what we have between us—it was always you, and me. That has not changed.”

She leans forward, gently guiding his head to meet hers halfway. Sakura’s next words are spoken with her lips on his. “And it never will.”


End file.
